Sticking with his game plan is moto leader
Todd Smith who has continued to hold a strong lead since the end of Leg 1, now 13 minutes ahead.
Both Todd Smith and brother
Jacob Smith are riding steadily and both said they were avoiding risks. Todd said today was hard.
"It was a tough day. The track was tight and overgrown, it was rocky and on some parts there was no track to follow. It's better for me to go fast, because if I go slow my concentration lapses. All I have to do tomorrow is look after the bike and see it home," Todd said.
"This morning I rode just to get through SS12 but I was surprised - I wasn't actually much slower," he continued, "When I saw the gap I had I backed off even more. Tomorrow if nothing goes wrong with the bike I should be right. I'm still really enjoying myself but I do find it tricky to walk that fine line between being careful and being too slow without the pressure."
Jacob is ahead by almost 40 minutes to nearest rival
Rod Faggotter, who has held on despite riding with a broken hand.
"Navigation was tough today. It's hard to stay focused this close to the end. I decided to go easy on the first stage today. There's no point pushing, I have a big lead over Rod so I'm not going to take risks."
"Today we were just in a holding pattern. It was about consolidation, looking after the bike and getting it to the end. By this stage, everything hurts and there's absolutely no use in binning it on the last days in pursuit of a few more minutes," he concluded.
Rod Faggotter is right on target to lock down third place for the event after another consistent day. Faggotter was fifth fastest in the morning stage and seventh fastest in the afternoon, but with a big gap to the rider behind him in the overall standings and still nursing his hand injury, there is no need for Faggotter to ride on the ragged edge.
"The last three days have been a bit the same for me, just riding smart and looking after my hand to get to the finish," Faggotter said, "So far, we are on track and if tomorrow all goes according to plan then we should end up on the podium which is a reasonable result given the trouble I have come across."
Ben Williams, a privateer rider ‰ÛÒ meaning he services the bike himself without the help of mechanics ‰ÛÒ is performing exceptionally well in his first Safari, placing fifth fastest.
"Today was the sort of track I'm used to. I've not had any dramas being a mechanic and a rider, no problems at all. Each night my girlfriend and I work on the bike until about 10pm. Tuesday night we were up until 11pm but we rebuilt the whole bike. That was pretty tough to do with one hand ‰ÛÒ I broke my left pinky when a stick got behind the hand guard ‰ÛÒ I didn't come off, I kept riding. It really hurt!"
Sweden's
Annie Seel who is Safari's only female moto competitor is the leading international entrant. She said it had been a long week.
"This morning and yesterday also I was in cruise mode, which isn't too good. I let a couple of guys pass me and then I switched on and started to push. Today we had very good stages. I broke my thumb two years ago and it's sore again now, and of course I'm tired! I was thinking about it, and it really is a tough seven days," she said.
In the Quads,
Colin Lawson won both stages, an impressive 15 minutes ahead of leader
John Maragozidis who has an overall four-hour lead.
Maragozidis said the track today was brutal.
"It was a game of survival and pick your way through. I had three flat tyres to deal with in the first and my exhaust broke off in the second," he said.
"The track opened up after the midday service, and I really enjoyed it.
Today's course west of Leonora took competitors in and around old mine sites and salt lakes and areas damaged by water erosion for 377 competitive kilometres. Some of the tracks had not been used for several years along with rough, rocky and overgrown sections and finishing in deep sand and a final fast section.
Tomorrow is the final leg of Australasian Safari, taking off from Leonora to Kalgoorlie and finishing with the final section at the new Kalgoorlie Golf Course and the finish line.
There is a spectator point at the golf course and the public are invited to come along and watch the action and the official podium finish. For details visit
www.australasiansafari.com.au.
Main Photo: Leader Todd Smith
Overall Standings ‰ÛÒ After Day Six
1st Todd Smith - 25.18:43 (Honda)
2nd Jacob Smith - 25.36:26 (Honda)
3rd Rod Faggotter ‰ÛÒ 26.14:02 (Yamaha)
4th Damien Grabham ‰ÛÒ 27.10:53 (Husaberg)
5th Ben Williams ‰ÛÒ 27.56:04 (Honda)
6th Shane Diener ‰ÛÒ 28.00:08 (Yamaha)
7th David Schwarz ‰ÛÒ 28.16:59 (Husaberg)
8th Russell Scoble ‰ÛÒ 29.01:19 (Honda)
9th William Coole ‰ÛÒ 29.29:28 (Husaberg)
10th David Geeves ‰ÛÒ 29.30:43 (Honda)
